BALTIMORE (WJZ) ? The wait is over. Giant?s new Hampden location is now open for business. Monique Griego has more on what?s new since its move from the Rotunda.
New life in an old location.
?This is absolutely out of this world, over the top,? said customer Betty Pennington.
Customers couldn?t believe their eyes as they took in the sights of the new Giant grocery store on 41st Street in Hampden.
?I think it?s great. You have more room and everything is just laid out beautiful,? said customer Mary Chinquina.
The store opened this week for the first time, moving from its previous location just down the road at the Rotunda.
?The building was getting a little tired but it was nice to have a newer building,? said customer Neil McCabe.
?We were working at such a small space. We?ve expanded our space down here,? said General Manager Nick Hyson.
Hyson says some of the biggest changes include a new organic and gluten-free section, a high-end meat and butcher?s area and a sushi bar where you can get things made to order. This new Giant is also going high-tech, introducing Scan It. Scan It allows you to scan your items as you shop, so you know exactly how much you?re spending.
After that, you?re only a couple of beeps away from being on your way home. For customers, Scan It is really just icing on the cake to all this upgraded convenience.
?For some reason, everything looks better?bright and it?s nice and some of the things they have, they didn?t have in the other store,? Pennington said.
Giant replaced the old Fresh and Green at that location. The new store also added around 100 new jobs.
Evolving to fight epidemics: Weakness can be an advantagePublic release date: 30-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Cheryl Dybas cdybas@nsf.gov 703-292-7734 National Science Foundation
Less resistance can sometimes be better than more -- at least in a freshwater lake
When battling a deadly parasite epidemic, less resistance can sometimes be better than more, a new study suggests.
A freshwater zooplankton species known as Daphniadentifera endures periodic epidemics of a virulent yeast parasite that can infect more than 60 percent of the Daphnia population.
During these epidemics, the Daphnia population evolves quickly, balancing infection resistance and reproduction.
A new study reveals that the number of vertebrate predators in the water and the amount of food available for Daphnia to eat influence the size of the epidemics and how these "water fleas" evolve during epidemics to survive.
The journal Science published the results in this week's issue. The National Science Foundation (NSF) and the James S. McDonnell Foundation supported the research.
"This study is a great example of why the most obvious response to disease, increased resistance, may not be the best solution," says Saran Twombly, program director in NSF's Division of Environmental Biology.
"When populations are stressed by other factors such as food or predators, remaining susceptible to a disease is the best route to long-term success."
The study shows lakes with high nutrient concentrations and lower predation levels exhibit large epidemics, and the yeast in the water, Metschnikowia bicuspidata, has less effect on Daphnia as the Daphnia become more resistant to infection.
However, in lakes with fewer resources and high predation, epidemics remain small and Daphnia evolve increased susceptibility to the parasite.
"It's counterintuitive to think that hosts would ever evolve greater susceptibility to virulent parasites during an epidemic, but we found that ecological factors determine whether it is better for them to evolve enhanced resistance or susceptibility to infection," said the paper's lead author Meghan Duffy, a biologist at Georgia Tech.
"There is a trade-off between resistance and reproduction because any resources an animal devotes to defense are not available for reproduction. When ecological factors favor small epidemics, it is better for hosts to invest in reproduction rather than defense."
In addition to Duffy, also contributing to this study are Indiana University biologists Spencer Hall and David Civitello; Christopher Klausmeier, a plant biologist at Michigan State University; and Georgia Tech researchers Jessica Housley Ochs and Rachel Penczykowski.
For the study, the researchers monitored the levels of nutritional resources, predation and parasitic infection in seven Indiana lakes on a weekly basis for a period of four months.
They calculated infection prevalence on live hosts using established survey methods, estimated resources by measuring the levels of phosphorus and nitrogen in the water, and assessed predation by measuring the size of uninfected adult Daphnia.
The researchers also conducted infection assays in the laboratory on Daphnia collected from each of the seven lake populations at two time points: in late July before epidemics began and in mid-November as epidemics waned
The assays measured the zooplankton's uptake of Metschnikowia bicuspidata and the infectivity of the yeast once consumed.
The infection assays showed a significant evolutionary response of Daphnia to epidemics in six of the seven lake populations.
The Daphnia population became significantly more resistant to infection in three lakes and significantly more susceptible to infection in three other lakes.
The hosts in the seventh lake did not show a significant change in susceptibility, but trended toward increased resistance.
In the six lake populations that showed an evolutionary response, epidemics were larger when lakes had lower predation and higher levels of total nitrogen.
"Daphnia became more susceptible to the yeast in lakes with fewer resources and higher vertebrate predation, but evolved toward increased resistance in lakes with increased resources and lower predation," says Duffy.
The study's combination of observations, experiments and mathematical modeling supports the researchers' theoretical prediction that when hosts face a resistance-reproduction tradeoff, they evolve increased resistance to infection during larger epidemics and increased susceptibility during smaller ones.
Ultimately, ecological gradients, through their effects on epidemic size, influence evolutionary outcomes of hosts during epidemics.
"While the occurrence and magnitude of disease outbreaks can strongly influence host evolution, this study suggests that altering predation pressure on hosts and productivity of ecosystems may also influence this evolution," says Duffy.
The team plans to repeat the study this summer in the same Indiana lakes to look at whether the relationships between ecological factors, epidemic size and host evolution they found in this study can be corroborated.
###
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?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Evolving to fight epidemics: Weakness can be an advantagePublic release date: 30-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Cheryl Dybas cdybas@nsf.gov 703-292-7734 National Science Foundation
Less resistance can sometimes be better than more -- at least in a freshwater lake
When battling a deadly parasite epidemic, less resistance can sometimes be better than more, a new study suggests.
A freshwater zooplankton species known as Daphniadentifera endures periodic epidemics of a virulent yeast parasite that can infect more than 60 percent of the Daphnia population.
During these epidemics, the Daphnia population evolves quickly, balancing infection resistance and reproduction.
A new study reveals that the number of vertebrate predators in the water and the amount of food available for Daphnia to eat influence the size of the epidemics and how these "water fleas" evolve during epidemics to survive.
The journal Science published the results in this week's issue. The National Science Foundation (NSF) and the James S. McDonnell Foundation supported the research.
"This study is a great example of why the most obvious response to disease, increased resistance, may not be the best solution," says Saran Twombly, program director in NSF's Division of Environmental Biology.
"When populations are stressed by other factors such as food or predators, remaining susceptible to a disease is the best route to long-term success."
The study shows lakes with high nutrient concentrations and lower predation levels exhibit large epidemics, and the yeast in the water, Metschnikowia bicuspidata, has less effect on Daphnia as the Daphnia become more resistant to infection.
However, in lakes with fewer resources and high predation, epidemics remain small and Daphnia evolve increased susceptibility to the parasite.
"It's counterintuitive to think that hosts would ever evolve greater susceptibility to virulent parasites during an epidemic, but we found that ecological factors determine whether it is better for them to evolve enhanced resistance or susceptibility to infection," said the paper's lead author Meghan Duffy, a biologist at Georgia Tech.
"There is a trade-off between resistance and reproduction because any resources an animal devotes to defense are not available for reproduction. When ecological factors favor small epidemics, it is better for hosts to invest in reproduction rather than defense."
In addition to Duffy, also contributing to this study are Indiana University biologists Spencer Hall and David Civitello; Christopher Klausmeier, a plant biologist at Michigan State University; and Georgia Tech researchers Jessica Housley Ochs and Rachel Penczykowski.
For the study, the researchers monitored the levels of nutritional resources, predation and parasitic infection in seven Indiana lakes on a weekly basis for a period of four months.
They calculated infection prevalence on live hosts using established survey methods, estimated resources by measuring the levels of phosphorus and nitrogen in the water, and assessed predation by measuring the size of uninfected adult Daphnia.
The researchers also conducted infection assays in the laboratory on Daphnia collected from each of the seven lake populations at two time points: in late July before epidemics began and in mid-November as epidemics waned
The assays measured the zooplankton's uptake of Metschnikowia bicuspidata and the infectivity of the yeast once consumed.
The infection assays showed a significant evolutionary response of Daphnia to epidemics in six of the seven lake populations.
The Daphnia population became significantly more resistant to infection in three lakes and significantly more susceptible to infection in three other lakes.
The hosts in the seventh lake did not show a significant change in susceptibility, but trended toward increased resistance.
In the six lake populations that showed an evolutionary response, epidemics were larger when lakes had lower predation and higher levels of total nitrogen.
"Daphnia became more susceptible to the yeast in lakes with fewer resources and higher vertebrate predation, but evolved toward increased resistance in lakes with increased resources and lower predation," says Duffy.
The study's combination of observations, experiments and mathematical modeling supports the researchers' theoretical prediction that when hosts face a resistance-reproduction tradeoff, they evolve increased resistance to infection during larger epidemics and increased susceptibility during smaller ones.
Ultimately, ecological gradients, through their effects on epidemic size, influence evolutionary outcomes of hosts during epidemics.
"While the occurrence and magnitude of disease outbreaks can strongly influence host evolution, this study suggests that altering predation pressure on hosts and productivity of ecosystems may also influence this evolution," says Duffy.
The team plans to repeat the study this summer in the same Indiana lakes to look at whether the relationships between ecological factors, epidemic size and host evolution they found in this study can be corroborated.
###
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
HAVANA (AP) ? A Cuban intelligence agent on probation after imprisonment in the United States arrived on Friday for a two-week visit to see his ailing brother in Cuba, where authorities consider him and four other agents national heroes.
Rene Gonzalez, one of the so-called Cuban Five spies arrested in 1998, flew to the island around noon for a "private family visit," according to an official note read on the news. It repeated his previous vows to return to the U.S. to serve out the rest of his probation.
"Our people welcome our beloved Rene to the country and will not cease in the struggle for his definitive return, along with his four dear brothers," a state newscaster said, reading from the official statement.
Cuba appeared set on downplaying Gonzalez's return, with no footage of an airport greeting or mass welcoming ceremony like the ones that greeted young raft survivor Elian Gonzalez ? no relation ? upon his return from Florida in 2000. Word of his arrival did not come until he was already here, and was the last item on the midday news.
The Cuban Five were convicted of spying on Cuban exiles in South Florida and trying to infiltrate military installations and political campaigns. Havana says they were only trying to keep tabs on violent exile groups who unleashed a bombing campaign on the island that killed an Italian tourist. The other four agents are still behind bars.
Rene Gonzalez was freed in October but was ordered to remain in the U.S. for three years under terms of his supervised release, a ruling that angered Cuban authorities.
But on March 19, U.S. District Judge Joan Lenard granted Gonzalez, a dual U.S.-Cuban citizen, permission for a two-week trip to see his brother, who is gravely ill with cancer.
Lenard ordered Gonzalez to give a detailed itinerary of the trip including addresses and phone numbers, and to remain in regular contact with his probation officer. He has two weeks from the date of his departure to return to Florida.
Philip Horowitz, Gonzalez's attorney in Miami, said his client does not want to do anything that could jeopardize the cases of the other Cuban Five or turn him into an international fugitive.
"He is going to follow that order to the letter," Horowitz said. "Like I said from the beginning, this has nothing to do with politics. It's a humanitarian visit."
Lenard's ruling came despite the U.S. Justice Department's objections that Gonzalez might have contact with Cuban intelligence agents and get new covert tasks to perform once he returned to the U.S.
Gonzalez's return could renew hope for Alan Gross, the U.S. government subcontractor serving 15 years in a Cuban prison.
Gross was sentenced under a Cuban statute governing crimes against the state after bringing restricted communications equipment onto the island. He says he was just helping the country's Jewish community improve its Internet connection, but Cuba contends the goals of the USAID program were ultimately aimed at overthrowing the government.
Though officials in Washington and Havana have repeatedly insisted that Gross and the Cuban Five are separate cases, some have expressed hope that a humanitarian swap might be arranged.
Gross' mother and daughter also have been fighting cancer, and he has asked to be allowed to travel to visit them. Like Gonzalez, he has promised to return.
___
Associated Press Legal Affairs Writer Curt Anderson in Miami contributed to this report.
___
Follow Peter Orsi on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Peter(underscore)Orsi.
Editorial by?Jeff LoCastro, Founder of North Central China Real Estate Association
Guanxi (pronounced: Gwan-she) is the method by which all business is done in China. Guanxi translates to ?relationships?. In the Chinese business world it is understood as the network of relationships among various parties that cooperate together and support one another. Guanxi is not code for bribery, as some people think. It?s simply Friendship with Benefits.
Guanxi is a tradition covering thousands of years and is present in every transaction in China. There is absolutely no way to get around it. Not even for the Chinese. It is an integral part of life in China. What anyone who is or planning to do business in China must realize is that Guanxi is real, it exists, and you will have to play.
Guanxi is bonding, guanxi is friendship, guanxi is quid-pro-quo. Guanxi is Vito Corleone without the ?I?ll make him an offer he can?t refuse.? The Chinese businessmen mentality is very much one of ?You scratch my back, I?ll scratch yours.? In essence, this boils down to exchanging favors, which are expected to be done regularly and voluntarily. Therefore, it is an important concept to understand if one is to function effectively in Chinese society.
While you have have to play the game, you don?t have to play with everybody. You can pick and choose who is in your fold. And that?s the art. Who you?ve ?got? and factually to what level can your Guanxi take you is the million dollar question. Everyone you meet will boost of the ?friendships? they have with officials and ?important? people. Even the cab driver will do it.
With good Guanxi it can be tempting to clear a path at every turn. Resist that urge. Use the Guanxi for everything else except cutting corners. If a trusted allie, Guanxi or not, tells you , ?Oh, you don?t have to do?that ? I?ll talk to the government and they will make an exception for you.?, it may well be true, but you are hanging your self over an edge. What if the official who agreed the short-cut leaves office or gets pressure from another multi-level bureaucrat with whom you don?t have Guanxi? What if you?re operating in one of the provinces and the bureaucrat questioning the legitimacy of your project comes from the central government? That can be a substantial problem that will put your entire project at risk. At times, you will be told, ?it?s the way we do it in China.? That may be true, but it isn?t the smart move. Use common sense. If you were in Sydney, Tokyo, San Francisco, London, or Berlin and the guy (perhaps even a trusted friend) at the planning counter said, ?Hey, don?t worry about getting approval from the building department. I know a guy there. I?ll talk to him. Go ahead and start construction.? . At anytime would you ever respond, ?Great. Thanks. We?ll start tomorrow.?? Of course not. If you would not do it in your home town, your home city, your home province, your home state, or your home country. . . . .don?t do it in China. With the help of Guanxi, do it all by-the-book.
The mistake that most businessmen make (nationals or foreigners) is trusting the fate and future of their businesses to Guanxi. It is important, it is critical, it is a necessary part of doing business in China. And to be successful in the PRC, you have to be good at it. But you still have to maintain control; you still have to use common sense.
Friends with benefits doesn?t mean you cede control of your project or enterprise. It means you respect the relationship, yet maintain control over your domain. You use it when necessary and be prepared to give back in proportion. Then set a process in place to maintain, love and hug the relationship for the duration of which you have financial interests in China.
It?s a lot of work, but the Benefit of Friends makes Friends with Benefits worth it in the long run.
?
Jeff LoCastro
Founder & President, North Central China Real Estate Association
CEO, California Secured Investments?LLC
?
This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared in North Central China Real Estate Association
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BancTec?s Intelligent BPO (iBPO) does more than just outsource an ineffective process. BancTec uses its proven expertise to address the root causes of process inefficiency in a four-step methodology, detailed in the infographic below.
The approach includes four basic stages:
Envision ? BancTec offers process optimization consulting to thoroughly evaluate which financial and back-office processes will benefit most from outsourcing.
Design ? Redesigning processes is a daily project for BancTec engineers, but every client is different, and all decisions are based on industry best practices.
Transition ? The process is migrated carefully to a BancTec iBPO Center of Excellence. This can happen all at once or in stages, depending on the circumstances and desired outcome.
Optimize ? The final optimization stage is ongoing; BancTec continues to manage the process and make improvements.
By choosing the smarter way to outsource, companies realize lower costs, reduced risk, better service and improved intelligence.
BancTec offers Intelligent BPO?to enhance a variety of financial transaction processes and document management processes across the healthcare, banking, insurance, manufacturing, government and utilities sectors.
Contact us today to learn more about business processing outsourcing with BancTec.
Microsoft wants in on the drive to speed up the web. The company plans to submit its proposal for a faster internet protocol to the standards body charged with creating HTTP 2.0. More »
The International Deans Program (IDP) is aimed at recently appointed deans/ directors of business schools that are members of the Association of Business Schools (ABS) and/or EFMD (European Foundation for Management Development). This year?s IDP is with 20 international deans who will visit business schools in three different countries; France, Canada, and Norway. The deans will be participating in different strategy and educational exercises as well as share ideas and network with their peers to gain a unique overview of strategy, operations, structures and future markets in business and management education.
This year the IDP made a visit to IESEG as part of the three countries, eight university tour. The stop this year includes a tour of the campus as well as a chance to talk with and pose questions to the administration at IESEG. The event is an all-day emersion into the IESEG and French Grand Ecole approach.
Palo Alto, Calif.-based Azumio isn't exactly a household name when it comes to mobile apps, so one might be surprised to learn that, collectively, their apps have pulled in over 20 million downloads. That's because Azumio is plugging away at building a suite of biofeedback apps that measure your heart rate, stress, and sleep. Azumio is tapping into a hot trend, as health devices and mobile apps are on the rise and have found eager users outside of the tech community. Companies and devices like Fitbit, Lark, Up, and more have found traction among consumers, but most of them involve external hardware that is worn while you sleep. That's why today Azumio is releasing an app appropriately called Sleep Time, which measures the quality of your sleep and provides you with an alarm clock -- without the extra hardware.
Posted: March 26, 2012| Author: Kayleigh Rose Lewis|Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: easter, rabbits, birds, pets|
At Easter time it can be quite tempting to buy a cute little bunny rabbit or a fluffy chick, especially since they seem to be around everywhere in springtime. However even small animals can be trickier to look after than you would expect, and they can live for ten years or more.
Often in the weeks and months after Easter animal rescue centres get an influx of unwanted or abandoned animals. We?re here to give you some advice to make sure your new pet doesn?t become one of them.
Everyone has heard the slogans about dogs and cats being for life ? well, small animals are no different. Parents in particular need to think about whether they are prepared to take on the responsibility of a rabbit or bird when the novelty wears off for their children. It may seem like a small extra task but on top of teenage children or other pets it can quickly become a chore for anyone.
Pets like rabbits or chickens need a lot of space and some company. Ideally both need a garden with a hutch, or coop, and a decent size run. If kept inside they can quickly become frustrated. You can buy nice hutches and coops from pet stores, or alternatively you can make them if you?ve got someone around who?s a bit handy with DIY. Just make sure that the pet can be locked away securely at night time and that foxes or cats can?t get to them. If using chicken wire don?t forget the bottom of the run. You don?t want your pets burrowing out or other animals getting in.
As for company, rabbits especially should be kept in pairs or groups. Same-sex pairs are your best bet as rabbits will soon breed if kept in mixed pairs. It?s often difficult to sex young rabbits so it?s definitely worth taking them to the vet to be spayed or neutered just to be on the safe side.
Birds and rabbits have different personalities and some are shy or timid. It?s probably worth bearing this in mind if you have very young children that won?t understand this, or other pets already, such as cats and dogs.
Most pet shops can offer you help and advice on small animals, but when it comes to buying one perhaps checking out your local animal rescue centre is a good bet. Most have rabbits that need to be re-housed and they can be spayed or neutered before you take them home.
Small pets don?t just need time and attention; they need money spent on them too. It?s important to ensure that you can afford to take care of your pet if it becomes ill or injured: vet bills can be costly for any animal. Some animal insurers now offer policies for small animals which might be worth considering.
Most of all, animals need love and care, not just when they are small and cute but when they grow up too, so make sure you?re ready for the commitment. Your new pet will depend on you to look after it and keep it happy for its whole life, not just Easter.
Ready to commit? Why not take a look at the pets for sale?on Trade-It to give you some idea of what?s available.
Originally published on Friday Ad, Trade It and Wight Bay.
The Federal Trade Commission is asking Congress to pass legislation?to better protect consumers' digital data from being misused or shared without their knowledge.
In a new report released Monday, the agency also calls on businesses to step up efforts to protect consumer privacy, but is not counting on private industry to do so. The FTC's recommendations come?in the wake of months of controversy over the data-sharing features of many mobile apps, data that includes, in some cases, location, text messages, photos and contacts.
"In today?s world of smartphones, smart grids, and smart cars, companies are collecting, storing, and sharing more information about consumers than ever before," the FTC said in the report. "Although companies use this information to innovate and deliver better products and services to consumers, they should not do so at the expense of consumer privacy."
"If companies adopt our final recommendations for best practices -- and many of them already have -- they will be able to innovate and deliver creative new services that consumers can enjoy without sacrificing their privacy," said Jon Leibowitz, FTC chairman.
The FTC?wants companies to make privacy "the 'default setting' for commercial data practices," to give consumers "greater control over the collection and use of their personal data through simplified choices and increased transparency."
"We are confident that consumers will have an easy to use and effective Do Not Track option by the end of the year because companies are moving forward expeditiously to make it happen and because lawmakers will want to enact legislation if they don't," Leibowitz said.
In the report, "Protecting Consumer Privacy in an Era of Rapid Change: A Proposed Framework for Businesses and Policymakers," the FTC wants Congress to consider "general privacy legislation, data security and breach notification legislation, and data broker legislation," the agency said in a release about the report.
Among the FTC's specific recommendations:
?Privacy by design: Companies should build in consumers' privacy protections at every stage in developing their products. These include reasonable security for consumer data, limited collection and retention of such data, and reasonable procedures to promote data accuracy.
Simplified choice for businesses and consumers: Companies should give consumers the option to decide what information is shared about them, and with whom. This should include a Do-Not-Track mechanism that would provide a simple, easy way for consumers to control the tracking of their online activities.
Greater Transparency: Companies should disclose details about their collection and use of consumers' information, and provide consumers access to the data collected about them.
The FTC said it will focus on these five areas during the year ahead:
Do-not-track policies: The FTC "commends the progress made in this area: browser vendors have developed tools to allow consumers to limit data collection about them, the Digital Advertising Alliance has developed its own icon-based system and also committed to honor the browser tools, and the World Wide Web Consortium standards-setting body is developing standards." The FTC says it will "work with these groups to complete implementation of an easy-to-use, persistent, and effective Do Not Track system."
Mobile privacy:?The FTC urges companies offering mobile services to work toward improved privacy protections, including disclosures." The agency plans a May 30 workshop "to address how mobile privacy disclosures can be short, effective, and accessible to consumers on small screens."
Data brokers:? Data brokers should "make their operations more transparent by creating a centralized website to identify themselves, and to disclose how they collect and use consumer data. In addition, the website should detail the choices that data brokers provide consumers about their own information."
"Large platform providers": The FTC cites privacy concerns about the "extent to which platforms, such as Internet Service Providers, operating systems, browsers and social media companies, seek to comprehensively track consumers' online activities. The FTC will host a public workshop in the second half of 2012 to explore issues related to comprehensive tracking."
Code of conduct: The agency says it will work with the?Department of Commerce and "industry stakeholders to develop industry-specific codes of conduct. To the extent that strong privacy codes are developed, when companies adhere to these codes, the FTC will take that into account in its law enforcement efforts. If companies do not honor the codes they sign up for, they could be subject to FTC enforcement actions."
Check out Technolog, Gadgetbox, Digital Life and In-Game on?Facebook,?and on Twitter, follow Suzanne Choney.
Prior to the departure of 31 Canadian Brigade Group (31 CBG) personnel from Camp Atterbury, Indiana, Canadian soldiers observed US National Guard soldiers playing an interesting version of the game Tug of War. 31 CBG soldiers were fascinated by the spectacle and cheered on the competitors. Finally, one young Canadian soldier dared to challenge the hometown crowd, and put national pride on the line.
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BANGKOK -- ? Thailand rolled out the red carpet for Prime Minister Stephen Harper's visit with his Thai counterpart Friday.
Plenty of pomp surrounded the announcement as both countries have agreed to exploratory talks into a free trade deal.
Harper, who was flanked by Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, called it a "tremendous opportunity" for Canada to become a "destination of choice for Thai business."
Officials celebrated the step forward with champagne -- Harper sipped white grape juice -- but Canada is still playing economic catch up in the region.
Harper is on his second sales pitch to Asia in as many months. He was in China in February and this six day trip includes stops in Thailand, Japan and South Korea.
The Conservatives see the booming Asia Pacific region as a key link in Canada's future prosperity.
But Canada lacks a real foothold in the region. Bilateral trade with Thailand is growing but was still a modest $3.5 billion in 2011.
We're also lagging behind competitors such as the United States, which just clinched a free-trade deal with South Korea.
Meanwhile, Canada's own trade talks with South Korea, launched in 2005, have stalled.
Japan, ? the world's third largest economy, ? and Canada have flirted with entering into trade talks for a few years but have so far only managed to complete a joint study looking into its possible economic benefits.
Harper defended his government's record.
"We've made it our business to get back into the game of trade negotiations," he said, pointing to nine free trade deals inked since the Tories took office in 2006.
Canada's energy resources could help leapfrog us ahead of the competition by helping service fuel thirsty emerging economies like those in the Asia Pacific.
"Our government believes it's essential that we be able to sell our energy products outside of North America to countries other than the United States," Harper said.
But that ambition rests of getting two pipeline projects ? Keystone XL and Northern Gateway ? that would carry Alberta crude to overseas markets.
Both projects are tied up in either Canadian or U.S. environmental reviews and their future is uncertain.
Harper reiterated that his government would be "taking the steps necessary" to speed regulatory decisions to ensure projects like those pipelines get built.
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Herbal tea oil includes several beneficial substances, one of them theanine, an amino acid which could rejuvenate and take it easy your skin, and caffeinated drinks that has the identical result. It is a therapeutic pure oil that has been useful for untold centuries throughout ancient body arrangements and for treating a number of aches and pains.
Just as the level of caffeine boosts your brain each and every day and gets an individual going?cheap five fingers shoes?, so it furthermore offers a waken-up call in your skin, and make the idea appear fresher in addition to younger by shrinking any slackness and detaching the tiny wrinkles?cheap five fingers shoes?, and so giving your skin better and fresher physical appearance. Not only that, but if you actually read your reports you should know that the level of caffeine is among the most typical vitamin antioxidants inside the common Americans? eating habits.
Antioxidants? What are these kind of? Actually they may be crucial chemicals that destroy the free of charge radicals that can cause your skin to get older, as well as your body to check older than it really is. You simply can?t get away from free of charge radicals since they are produced by pollutants for instance tobacco smoke, industrial along with site visitors fumes and also powerful sunlight. Except if they?re neutralized your skin will probably age prematurely: green tea leaf oil does specifically that and helps your epidermis to appear younger longer.
Also look over my additional posting on tea tree oil uses and food recipes blog.
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Lots of household items make great toys. Just make sure they are sturdy, safe to put into a child's mouth, and too large to swallow.
Whenever I watch my one year old at play, I can?t help but notice that there really are only a few requirements for entertaining him in a safe way.
Skip to next paragraph Trent Hamm
The Simple Dollar is a blog for those of us who need both cents and sense: people fighting debt and bad spending habits while building a financially secure future and still affording a latte or two. Our busy lives are crazy enough without having to compare five hundred mutual funds ? we just want simple ways to manage our finances and save a little money.
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The item needs to be fairly sturdy, as he can get mad and throw it. He?s one, so emotional control isn?t really part of the equation, nor is an understanding of any sort of ?correct? way to play.
The item needs to have virtually no intricate parts. If it does, a one year old will break it. They are incredibly crafty little people who find new and inventive ways to dismantle items.
The item needs to be reasonably safe for him to put into his mouth, but not small enough to be swallowed. Inevitably, an infant or a young toddler will put things in the mouth. This means it shouldn?t be toxic or coated in a toxic paint, and it shouldn?t be very small lest it be a choking hazard.
The truth is, he?ll play with pretty much anything we put in front of him. He prefers that it makes noise or that he can make noise with it. He likes it if it?s something that his older siblings will also play with, particularly at the same time.
Most of the time, he just talks to the toy and holds it. He?ll sometimes put it in his mouth, almost to give it a taste. He?ll hit it on the floor or a table to see if it makes noise or if it changes shape. If it makes noise or changes shape, he?ll hit it over and over again. He likes to give the item to other people for a bit, but they need to give it back within ten seconds or so.
In other words,?there are dozens of items already around our house that qualify perfectly for a toy for this child.
When you have a small child to be entertained, bust out the pots and pans and wooden spoons and let them go to town. Sure, it can be noisy. Sure, you can get tired of the racket. Still, there are few things that entertain a young child more than playing with the stuff that a grown-up uses, particularly when it makes noise and they?re given freedom to do with it what they will.
There have been countless times when I?ve just given my child a wooden spoon and a few pots and pans and just let him (or her) go to town on the kitchen floor. The child laughs. The child makes a lot of noise. The child pretends to stir things in the pot. The child flips the pots and pans over. The child will try to wear lighter items for a hat.
This is a perfect way to keep them entertained for a while as kitchen duties are taken care of. Afterwards, I just give the items a quick cleaning and they go right back in the cupboard until their next use.
Of course, this just scratches the surface of possibilities. With the older children, paper towel rolls have been converted into telescopes, toilet paper rolls have been converted into binoculars, empty soda bottles (with a bit of super glue, glitter, water, and food coloring) have been converted into oceans in a bottle, and large boxes have been converted into houses.
Your house provides an endless supply of items for children to play with without needing to buy them toys. That means you can certainly get away with less toy buying, which means you can provide more financial stability for your future and your children?s future.
This post is part of a yearlong series called ?365 Ways to Live Cheap (Revisited),? in which I?m revisiting the entries from my book ?365 Ways to Live Cheap,? which is available?at Amazon?and at bookstores everywhere. Images courtesy of?Brittany Lynne Photography, the proprietor of which is my??photography intern? for this project.
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